Blogs / Ebow
Added by Ebow, 27-06-2009
He's... sob.... gone... oh, such a terrible day... such a great man...
This month's Social Hysteria: Michael f**king Jackson
Twitter is a strange beast.
It brings some interesting and well thought-out articles to my attention from usually intelligent and well-thinking people.
Except today, when the Jesus Christ of Pop has decided to beat it.
To see normally intelligent people being outraged because the rest of the normally intelligent people are being outraged at everyone blubbing and generally being twats - this has been amazing.
He was a musician.
He sang songs.
He was not the Messiah.
He had no healing powers, however much he warbled Heal the World and the kids looked on and hoped they wouldn't be picked for tonight's special activites.
He was never convicted of kiddie-fiddling.
He did settle out of court to someone who accused him of it.
However much your fucking outrage at any of the above is justified, the rest of us are allowed to hold our heads in shame at the fucking insanity of the Social Hysteria surrounding today.
Did I mention he was just a musician, and 20 years ago made some good music?
He was not Elvis. He got famous with his brothers, spurred on by a twat of a father. He did not define a genre. He maybe defined "celebrity" in all it's banal headlines.
And now he's dead. Which happens to better people than him. And will happen to us all.
So why the fucking hysteria?
I'd like to believe each person genuinely moved by his departure had a special life-defining moment in their lives that his music provided a soundtrack for. A big moment. Like the birth of a child. Or a wedding. Something... you know... *important*.
I would like *not* to believe that everyone is wailing like a deity has just left us because of the fucking inane media coverage.
And the inane tweeting of self-publicising Twitter types.
You know the sort:
- in "Social Media". The more I see this, the more I'm less able to ignore the ever-increasing suggestion that Social Media is where people go that are shit at advertising, shit at marketing, shit at coding, and shit at having any kind of grasp on reality
- famous for only really being in a photo with someone famous. Who was in Big Brother one year. And got evicted before anyone cared
- if a whale farts and causes a dolphin to cough, the world is ending
This has been topped by the fucking stupidity of the 2nd type of Twitter user to be oh-so-upset today.
You know this type too:
- think that new girl/boy/dog in Eastenders is just "brilliant"
- read their stars. And then twitter it.
- twitters cunting aplusk or any other "famous for being on twitter" "celebrity" at least 5 times a day, saying "oh, sleb, you are funny/great etc". Sorry, I mean *every cunting celebrity on twitter*. Jesus. Stalking has never been so public.
- outraged at any kind of perceived insensitivity when a person HAS DIED!!!! (newsflash: people die ALL THE FUCKING TIME)
- thinks that tweeting "oh, wah, just leave him alone!" will do anything except make sane people think you need to buy a puppy and give that all your luff.
I'm prepared to respect people's views on subjects. Except Bobi when he's drunk or stoned.
I'm prepared to have to avoid the TV and even the fucking BBC News homepage due to the coverage this "major event" requires.
But I'm not going to sit here like a cunt and keep quiet when everyone starts watching the news because some has-been media-acclaimed "King of Pop" is taking up 27 minutes of a 30 minute broadcast *because the media know people will watch*.
I will however, express my thanks to all the fucktards who have bleated on Twitter today and been outraged at the insensitivity.
Today, I've felt sane.
It brings some interesting and well thought-out articles to my attention from usually intelligent and well-thinking people.
Except today, when the Jesus Christ of Pop has decided to beat it.
To see normally intelligent people being outraged because the rest of the normally intelligent people are being outraged at everyone blubbing and generally being twats - this has been amazing.
He was a musician.
He sang songs.
He was not the Messiah.
He had no healing powers, however much he warbled Heal the World and the kids looked on and hoped they wouldn't be picked for tonight's special activites.
He was never convicted of kiddie-fiddling.
He did settle out of court to someone who accused him of it.
However much your fucking outrage at any of the above is justified, the rest of us are allowed to hold our heads in shame at the fucking insanity of the Social Hysteria surrounding today.
Did I mention he was just a musician, and 20 years ago made some good music?
He was not Elvis. He got famous with his brothers, spurred on by a twat of a father. He did not define a genre. He maybe defined "celebrity" in all it's banal headlines.
And now he's dead. Which happens to better people than him. And will happen to us all.
So why the fucking hysteria?
I'd like to believe each person genuinely moved by his departure had a special life-defining moment in their lives that his music provided a soundtrack for. A big moment. Like the birth of a child. Or a wedding. Something... you know... *important*.
I would like *not* to believe that everyone is wailing like a deity has just left us because of the fucking inane media coverage.
And the inane tweeting of self-publicising Twitter types.
You know the sort:
- in "Social Media". The more I see this, the more I'm less able to ignore the ever-increasing suggestion that Social Media is where people go that are shit at advertising, shit at marketing, shit at coding, and shit at having any kind of grasp on reality
- famous for only really being in a photo with someone famous. Who was in Big Brother one year. And got evicted before anyone cared
- if a whale farts and causes a dolphin to cough, the world is ending
This has been topped by the fucking stupidity of the 2nd type of Twitter user to be oh-so-upset today.
You know this type too:
- think that new girl/boy/dog in Eastenders is just "brilliant"
- read their stars. And then twitter it.
- twitters cunting aplusk or any other "famous for being on twitter" "celebrity" at least 5 times a day, saying "oh, sleb, you are funny/great etc". Sorry, I mean *every cunting celebrity on twitter*. Jesus. Stalking has never been so public.
- outraged at any kind of perceived insensitivity when a person HAS DIED!!!! (newsflash: people die ALL THE FUCKING TIME)
- thinks that tweeting "oh, wah, just leave him alone!" will do anything except make sane people think you need to buy a puppy and give that all your luff.
I'm prepared to respect people's views on subjects. Except Bobi when he's drunk or stoned.
I'm prepared to have to avoid the TV and even the fucking BBC News homepage due to the coverage this "major event" requires.
But I'm not going to sit here like a cunt and keep quiet when everyone starts watching the news because some has-been media-acclaimed "King of Pop" is taking up 27 minutes of a 30 minute broadcast *because the media know people will watch*.
I will however, express my thanks to all the fucktards who have bleated on Twitter today and been outraged at the insensitivity.
Today, I've felt sane.
This story has been added to the following section(s): Blog, Television
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Hmmm.... I shudder to think how many times you just had a go at me just then. :S
I'm seperately amazed at you today mate.
I'm hoping and praying there's a hot chick there who was a big Jacko fan and all the s**te you've come out with today will get you nuts-deep later on.
Fingers crossed mate!
I'm hoping and praying there's a hot chick there who was a big Jacko fan and all the s**te you've come out with today will get you nuts-deep later on.
Fingers crossed mate!
Ahhh - can see how it *may* be read as having a go at you. It wasn't. Trust me. You were one of the more coherent and intelligible folk in my alfing twitter-stream today.
Facebook not much better, but at least there you know it's a 19 yr old who thinks Twilight was the first instance of vampires in literature and on the big screen.
Facebook not much better, but at least there you know it's a 19 yr old who thinks Twilight was the first instance of vampires in literature and on the big screen.
Funnily enough I was randomly pecked on the cheek while I was watching Neil Young. Should have ran after her, but I thought that... erm... wasn't cool. Or something...
Conversely, I'm quite suprised at how much rage this seems to have generated at your end.
Basically from this end, it's a great story. We're in the business of page impressions & uniques here. I have to live this s**t. It's pretty much doubled our traffic, and top of everything at glastonbury it's been quite a ride.
There I was in the Dance village @ Glasto last night when my phone almost exploded into a series of texts, missed calls and voicemails, all basically saying 'f**kING GET BACK AND UNLOCK THE BUS NOW MJ HAS f**kING DIED!!!'
And we all acted as a single unit, what with us all being in the same place at the same time. Mobilising around this absolute bombshell of a disclosure.
Fair enough, he's been at the centre of a lot of controversy for the past few years and he hadn't done a lot musically for a long time, but he's a cornerstone of my upbringing. I remember when I used to play football at school - they'd always put me in goal cos I didn't really like it - and I just used to sing his songs while the rest of my 'team' were at the other end of the pitch.
It's the first kind of music that I ever got into. MJ to me is up there with Star Wars. It's not the same thing, but I'd be just as gutted if someone like George Lucas died. They made some great stuff, then did nothing, followed by a lot of not so very good stuff. MJ didn't get the chance to redeem himself, but he had a huge impact on my life when i was younger and I dunno... I think I'm just gripped by that finality of his passing. The bombshell of AEG having to pay back all that money to all those people who gave a s**t.
It's huge mate. It's Michael Jackson. And if that makes me a moron then so be it.
Conversely, I'm quite suprised at how much rage this seems to have generated at your end.
Basically from this end, it's a great story. We're in the business of page impressions & uniques here. I have to live this s**t. It's pretty much doubled our traffic, and top of everything at glastonbury it's been quite a ride.
There I was in the Dance village @ Glasto last night when my phone almost exploded into a series of texts, missed calls and voicemails, all basically saying 'f**kING GET BACK AND UNLOCK THE BUS NOW MJ HAS f**kING DIED!!!'
And we all acted as a single unit, what with us all being in the same place at the same time. Mobilising around this absolute bombshell of a disclosure.
Fair enough, he's been at the centre of a lot of controversy for the past few years and he hadn't done a lot musically for a long time, but he's a cornerstone of my upbringing. I remember when I used to play football at school - they'd always put me in goal cos I didn't really like it - and I just used to sing his songs while the rest of my 'team' were at the other end of the pitch.
It's the first kind of music that I ever got into. MJ to me is up there with Star Wars. It's not the same thing, but I'd be just as gutted if someone like George Lucas died. They made some great stuff, then did nothing, followed by a lot of not so very good stuff. MJ didn't get the chance to redeem himself, but he had a huge impact on my life when i was younger and I dunno... I think I'm just gripped by that finality of his passing. The bombshell of AEG having to pay back all that money to all those people who gave a s**t.
It's huge mate. It's Michael Jackson. And if that makes me a moron then so be it.
I didn't use the word "moron" :)
You will appreciate the irony of you saying "he was a cornerstone of my upbringing" and "we exploited his death for financial gain" in the same comment :)
And maybe that's the saddest part of the whole sorry thing - he was easily led and exploited, so a soft target for everyone.
You will appreciate the irony of you saying "he was a cornerstone of my upbringing" and "we exploited his death for financial gain" in the same comment :)
And maybe that's the saddest part of the whole sorry thing - he was easily led and exploited, so a soft target for everyone.
I am kind of sickened by the exploitation of it all, but it's a dog eat dog thing. If everyone else is doing it, we HAVE to do this - and if we're gonna do it, we have to do it better than everyone else...
And we're all in a field, kinda working when it broke. And... it's really quite difficult to describe... being this side of it. It's mental, but we had the most amount of visitors to thesitethatmustnotbename.com ever.
And we're all in a field, kinda working when it broke. And... it's really quite difficult to describe... being this side of it. It's mental, but we had the most amount of visitors to thesitethatmustnotbename.com ever.
My first reaction on hearing the news was to clutch my heart theatrically and utter a high-pitched 'Owwwwww!' I think the local pub now realise my sense of humour isn't quite mainstream.
The facts: MJ was very talented, has written some killer tunes that will live on for decades, but ultimately like has been said is a very easy target and this has been his ultimate downfall. That and kiddy fiddlin'. :)
The facts: MJ was very talented, has written some killer tunes that will live on for decades, but ultimately like has been said is a very easy target and this has been his ultimate downfall. That and kiddy fiddlin'. :)
